God's Will, God's Way
God's love deserves nothing
less than a wholehearted commitment, the offering of one's total self. And this
was certainly lacking in Moses' response.
Among the heroes of the Old Testament, Moses
clearly stands the tallest, having been specially chosen by God for the mission
of leading His people out of the slavery of Egypt and presenting to them God's
holy law. Yet Moses, for all his strong points, was still only human - he too
sinned at times, failing in faithfulness to God.
Today's first reading recounts a sin of Moses
which was sufficiently grave that, as a direct result of that sin, Moses was
denied the satisfaction of finally leading the Israelites into the promised
land. What was his sin? At first glance, that's not so clear, since he seems to
have more or less obeyed God's order to give His people water from the rock.
But, as one grows closer to God, the standard
of "more or less" compliance to His will becomes more and more
inadequate, for God's love deserves nothing less than a wholehearted
commitment, the offering of one's total self. And this was certainly lacking in
Moses' response.
In the first place, God's instruction was for
Moses to "order the rock to yield it's waters." But instead, Moses
struck the rock with his staff, thereby not completely fulfilling God's will in
the way God wanted. Addressing the people in a question, Moses also didn't
directly reveal to them God's assurance of providing water, which along with
his panic in striking the rock twice, is indicative of a certain lack of faith,
so Moses did not complete God's will with the full faith that God wanted. Finally,
Moses' sharp words to the Israelites, calling them "rebels," reveals
his reluctance and his doubt about God's mercy being extended in this
situation, so Moses did not carry out God's will with the willing, loving and
merciful attitude God wanted.
So, even if we are "more or less"
doing God's will in our own lives, you and I must still examine our conscience
to insure that we do what God wants in the way He wants, with the full faith He
expects, and with the willing, loving and merciful attitude that He asks of us.